


Finding Home.

by NoelleWynters



Category: Once Upon a Time in Wonderland (TV)
Genre: F/M, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-06
Updated: 2016-10-06
Packaged: 2018-08-19 22:52:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,723
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8227499
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NoelleWynters/pseuds/NoelleWynters
Summary: Victorian England may be home, but slowly Alice begins to realize it isn't truly seen as such by her husband.  Sometimes the place you call home due to birth isn't the place you were meant to remain.





	1. Lingering Doubt.

**Author's Note:**

> Standard disclaimer applies: I own nothing, this is all for fun.

Her footsteps were soft as she climbed the stairs to the second floor of her father's home. Slender fingers trailed along the banister, her mind wandering for a few minutes before she reached the top of the stair case.

Sometimes, in the past year, she had wondered if perhaps her choice to return home hadn't been spur of the moment. With the euphoria of all that had happened, Anastasia being returned to life and reunited with her true love, the genie's curse being broken and Jafar cursed in a way he would never bother them again, perhaps she had been so caught up in the joy of it all she'd expected that to continue with a return to England.

Home rather, as she'd called it.

Cyrus being who he is, he agreed with the decision readily. Whether he saw it as another adventure or it was a hold over from being a genie so long to simply agree with others, she wasn't sure. While he'd argued enough times, and even spoke back, to herself and even Anastasia, she had a sinking suspicion there were moments he reverted back to the mindset that had been his way of life for centuries.

It took only moments to find herself standing outside his bedroom, her hand resting on the doorknob as she debated whether to knock or not. A wry grin tugged at the corners of her lips, Will had been utterly dumbfounded at the fact they didn't share a room, or even a bed. Obviously life in the Enchanted Forest had been quite different than in her land, or even Cyrus'. Her husband hadn't even blinked when they were both given separate rooms and that had continued after their wedding vows had been made.

Knocking was polite, but something about the way he'd been acting after returning home from town with her father gave her the distinct impression her husband needed to talk, but being stubborn he wouldn't. If she did knock and ask to come in, he probably would ignore her. Cyrus had a bad habit of hiding what he was feeling, more concerned with those around him.

Yet another hold over from being a genie, she was sure.

Turning the knob she pushed open the door and scanned the room. It only took a second to find him where he seemed to delight in throughout the whole room. Alice smiled, walking over to sit beside him on the chaise and holding her silence for a few moments as he continued to gaze out the window at the garden that could be seen from his room.

She wondered, as she entwined her fingers of left hand with his right, if they had such gardens in Agrabah. Did he think of home often? Adding to that, did he perhaps want to return there, instead of coming to England?

“Cyrus, my love,” she softly said, leaning over to lightly brush her lips against his cheek to fully garner her attention, “you are miles away. Did the lunch with my father and his associates not go well?”

The question was stupid, and she knew it. Even Cyrus seemed to think so, if the bitter laugh that fell from his lips meant anything.

Edwin had spent a great deal of time with Cyrus since they'd shown up after the adventures in Wonderland. He liked the former genie a great deal, and wanted him to succeed in their world. Part of it, Alice knew, was he hoped in assisting Cyrus to make a life in this world would make up for everything he'd done wrong with her as a child.

Nothing about her childhood had been quite proper, not the way Milly's was, but looking back Alice knew she wouldn't want to change much of it. If she did, then she never would have discovered Wonderland.

“It was fine,” he replied, but it was obvious by his tone that was a lie. Alice's lips pursed together in annoyance; she hated how he did that. Always pretending that he was perfectly fine when she knew for a fact something was bothering him.

She'd begun to notice it not long after they met. The way he'd startle at raised voices, flinch if she raised her hand too quickly regardless of the fact she wasn't even close enough to strike him. She was clever, but it still took her a little longer to realize why he acted like that.

They both craved attention from the other, contact to know someone cared. Her fondest memories were the nights they'd lay on the ground, staring up on the night sky with their hands entwined. Sometimes her head would rest on his chest or his would on her shoulder. But while some nights she'd wake him with cries as she dreamed of the bandersnatch, he did other nights with nightmares as well.

It never occurred to her that people would mistreat someone they could control; who truly had little chance of fighting back if he was ordered to stop.

“You are not fine, stop lying to me.” The words came out harsher than she'd planned, but after so many years of hearing that lie she couldn't help it. Alice did feel sorry when he turned from the window with wide eyes. She rarely raised her voice with anyone, not even Will could get her to shout all that often regardless of how frustrating he'd been back in Wonderland, but now that they were married she had hoped Cyrus would stop hiding things from her.

Evidently she'd been a little naive, but she figured they both had been given a shock with married life. Nothing was perfect, and regardless of it all there were things that bothered them both.

“I am sorry Alice, it felt of little importance,” he sighed, squeezing her hand. “Your father's associates were not as pleasant as he is, one in particular I would rather not see again for the rest of my days.” Which was impossible, not if he was going to continue in this business of Edwin's.

Cyrus was still a little lost on the whole shipping business, he was a fast learner but once in awhile he still made a slip. He'd name lands he knew, not the ones in this world. Edwin shrugged that off, explaining there had been a bit of a language barrier due to him being from a different country to start with.

Then had come the time he'd made a far worse one; talking about magic. It was frustrating, all this talk of rules and laws, after centuries being forced to follow so many the former genie had made a slip and mentioned aside from four why couldn't magic just take care of all this for them? The silence in the room had been far more deafening then all those years left forgotten in his bottle; Edwin's associates had looked at him as though he were mad, and he knew for a fact one had muttered the word under his breath.

Had Edwin heard, the man would've been let go immediately. Cyrus knew that for a fact, but not wanting someone to lose their job over his own foolishness, he held his tongue.

Today had been another one of those days, and he was getting rather weary of it. “Alice, I do not think I will do well in that profession. Before I was cursed, I was learning to weave clothing and blankets but according to Sarah that is not a respectable profession here. I want to please your father and step mother, I want to give you what they believe I should...only I am not of this world. It is difficult to adjust to being mortal again, regardless how long it has been, and learn a profession that I believe a few of the men would prefer I leave.”

Cyrus was not one to back down from a challenge, he never had been and never would, but even he could only take so much ridicule before he'd had enough.

Alice let go of his hand, placing her arm over his shoulder as she drew him closer. Some would find that strange, but they'd always had a relationship that didn't care about how a man or woman should act. All that mattered was they loved one another. “Father said there was some trouble with the meal, they set out silver didn't they?”

She felt him nod against her shoulder, sighing. After centuries having it used to keep him in line, as a form of punishment, even being imprisoned by it thanks to Jafar, she knew he wouldn't get over that fast. Alice had her doubts he would ever reach a point where he wasn't cautious around that metal.

Blue eyes glancing towards her wedding ring, so many marvelled at the fact it was pewter instead of silver. Some young women seemed to find it distasteful her husband did not provide one of a finer material but it didn't matter to her in the least.

The ring wasn't all that important, all it happened to be was a symbol and it would be utterly pointless if it was one he was repetitious on handling.

“You don't have to repeat everything, father told me they were quite rude over you having problems handling the cutlery.” She gently ran her fingers through his hair, thinking of how she'd like to slap all those men the same way she had Anastasia that day in the hedge maze. Only far harder, enough to make their heads snap around. Why did people have to be understanding of everyone else's troubles, but someone with one a little different had to be made fun of?

Then again, it wasn't like Cyrus could explain it away by saying he'd been a genie for centuries, and silver was often used to cause him injury.

Instead of speaking, she sat quietly with him, her fingers tangling in his dark curls. She grinned, resting her cheek against his soft hair; Cyrus always had to wash his hair once he was away from English society. He absolutely hated keeping it in the style her land required, it was sort of amusing but she never told him that.

Milly did, but that was besides the point.

“Alice, would it be a good time to take a trip?”

That question was one she'd been expecting, smiling as she thought it over. Where he wanted to go was obvious; the last time Will had come for a visit he had mentioned that Taj and Rafi had settled nicely into Wonderland, among other bits of information. It seemed the Caterpillar wasn't running his usual deals and tricks, which made things far better for most in the land. The White King and Queen were making a great effort to bring Wonderland back to the land it should've been, before the Queen of Hearts, Jafar and who the White Queen used to be.

“I believe it is a perfect time for a trip, but I do want to ask you one thing first Cyrus. And I would appreciate honesty; no metaphors or skirting the truth,” she told him, the smile growing as he sat up straight and met her blue eyes with his brown ones.

He didn't need to speak, she could tell he had agreed to her terms just by the expression in his eyes. “Are you happy here?”

It took him a few moments, obviously at war with telling the truth over what he thought she would want to hear. “Cyrus, you're not my genie anymore. You're my husband and a person who own his own will; tell me the truth.”

Slowly, he nodded. To some it might seem a little strange how he acted, but in the end it would take a long time yet to unlearn habits ingrained in him over centuries. “I am, most of the time Alice, but I miss Wonderland. I miss my brothers, our friends and being somewhere far more familiar due to the magic in that realm. In Agrabah magic was normal, I mean no offence but this land feels dead. Magic is never an answer to your problems, I know that better than most, but England feels lifeless due to that lack of magic. I am home so long as I am with you, but I do wish we could make our home back in Wonderland.”

Leaning over to press her lips against his, her fingers still tangled in his dark hair, she couldn't help but smile all the more as she felt him return the kiss happily. That was the answer she wanted, none of his usual words meant to appease her and everyone else in the house. No more of his neutral statements to keep everyone happy, regardless of if they were family or her father's business associates; she wanted nothing but his honesty.

Her father loved them both, he'd expressed his worry that Cyrus wanted to be somewhere else. Perhaps worry wasn't the proper word, it came out as concern but she could tell her father was worried his son in law was unhappy in a good many respects to life in England. There was no way her father would ever adapt to Wonderland, it was far too strange for him so he could empathize with Cyrus coming to a land so very foreign to what he knew.

Even her father had concluded that perhaps Cyrus would be happier in Wonderland; while it would sadden him to see them leave he only wanted them to be happy. Besides, he figured, after all the former genie had done to try to assimilate to a new and strange land, he could surely grow accustom to the idea of travelling by rabbit hole to visit his daughter and son in law.

Pulling out of the kiss, trying not to laugh at the lost expression that lit up his eyes, she chuckled. “Then I believe a move back to Wonderland is in order. You know Cyrus, your wish is my command.”


	2. Home Again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Standard disclaimer applies: I own nothing, this is all for fun.

Her garden could not be rivalled by any other in the land; no one had a staff to care for it the way the White Queen did. Even during her rule under a colour of a different name, the garden had been a pride and joy of her's. There were gardeners, of course, but Anastasia still took a delight in the simpler of tasks to be had around the palace when she could take the leave to attend them.

Tending flowers always reminded her of the life before the Looking Glass, a quieter time and while some may have found it lonely she always had Will.

No one knew loneliness, other than perhaps her one dear friend who now lived in England.

Her soft pink lips frowned ever so slightly at the thought; there were gardens that might rival those on the palace grounds. Anastasia could remember commenting on that to Alice, and marvelling at how anyone could take care of them. English gardens, to her, seemed so crowded and bursting with far too much colour.

Maybe she thought that way as most of her flowers were white along with varying shades of pink, some violet. There was only one splash of red she allowed, in the centre of the garden. A beautiful English rose bush, a vibrant red colour. The Tweedle wondered at that, but as it was a gift from Cyrus she forbid anyone to tend it but herself. Although the words were not spoken in a threatening manner most remembered her days as the Red Queen and knew not to cross her.

The colour reminded her of her later days as the Red Queen, when he had shown trust and faith in her. She had wanted to prove to everyone she wasn't the person they thought she was, and at times she wondered if she would have stuck to that if it were not for Cyrus. He called her out when she was being selfish, arrogant or anything else, but it was easier to try to be better with him believing she could be.

Alice and Will had taken her for a liar, but in the end it had all worked out. Aside from a few deaths and resurrections along the way that is.

Reaching out, a single finger trailed lightly against the crimson bloom of one rose, she wondered how her friends were in England. It struck her as strange Alice wanted to return, how she had called it home after how long she'd spent in Wonderland and her desire to prove to her father it was real.

Anastasia remembered well trying to win the love and approval of her own mother; a hopeless task if ever there had been one. Perhaps Edwin was different, at the wedding he'd seemed happy but in the end the White Queen had wondered how long Alice's bliss would last.

As for Cyrus, he was magical in some ways. He was no longer a genie, despite she'd noticed he still retained many habits of one, but he was born in a land with magic. After the last visit, upon returning home she had commented to Will that a land without magic didn't feel right. Had she been born to it then maybe, like Alice, it wouldn't be as noticeable, but she did marvel at how Cyrus was seeming to adapt.

Will had chuckled, and said he had his doubts. Even he felt England was a bit lifeless without magic, even if he didn't use it he had grown up with it around as well. The mention that he thought Cyrus might be lying a little came up as well.

That observation had merely elicited a frown from the young queen, she hoped that wasn't the case. After everything they all had gone through, while she knew not every minute of the day could be filled with happiness, none should spend more time dissatisfied than possible.

Voices dragged her back to reality, hand falling back to her side as she straightened up again. A queen should always hold herself a particular way, of all the lessons from Cora she'd had that one always was paramount to her mind. Magic was something she refused to use, not without good reason, but posture took a great deal of precedence.

Now if she could convince Will of the same, she might be doing something.

“I really don't know why you'd want to be here, too strange,” Will chortled, as a couple laughs rose at his joke. A blonde eyebrow arched upwards, who was he talking to? They were expecting no visitors, if it were who she always hoped for it normally was days after Percy would go to see if the couple could spare a few days from their life in England.

A muttered response, one she could quite make out but she stood patiently waiting to see who her husband had found. Maybe it was someone from the Enchanted Forest, or Storybrooke rather. Travel between realms was difficult without Percy, and as far as she knew the Hatter's portal was lost, but then perhaps he'd remade it.

That at least explained his obsession with hats.

Just as she was beginning to feel a little impatient, she saw Will turn the corner and walk into the hedged in garden with the red rose bush. The sight of Alice and Cyrus brightened her expression, a smile spreading across her face as she acted more like the girl she'd once been instead of the queen she was, dashing over and wrapping her arms around her dearest friend with joy.

Her laughter was soon joined by his, feeling Cyrus lift her up in the hug. After a moment she felt her feet touch the ground again, stepping back to look at him in excitement. “I was not expecting you, or Alice, what brings about this surprise visit?”

Alice giggled, leaning over to hug Anastasia before answering. “It isn't a visit.”

The White Queen was a little confused, of course it was a visit. Perhaps an extended one, more like a vacation. She hoped the implication wasn't they were coming to bid farewell to the realm, and their friends for good. That was a worry that had been in the back of her mind for months, as the visits became fewer, she had a fear they may decide to leave Wonderland behind them in order to fit better into English society.

Feeling Cyrus' hands wrap around her smaller ones, her attention snapped back to the former genie. “Alice is making an attempt to speak in riddles I fear. We are not here for a visit, my friend, we are here to stay.”

A must undignified sound slipped through her soft pink lips, something between a giddy laugh and shriek of delight, her arms flinging around Cyrus' neck once again. “I am so glad, I've missed you both terribly.”

Huffing nearby sounded, and she let go of Cyrus to turn and look at her husband. Will stood with a playful pout firmly set in his expression, one hand on his hip. “You never act that way when I've been gone,” he accused, trying to look at indignant as possible.

“I see you every day, even if you leave for a few days I know you'll return,” she laughed, walking over and placing a kiss on his cheek. “Besides, I've little doubt Alice and Cyrus are the same.”

Will rolled his eyes. “They probably do that spin hug every time they're apart for more than twenty minutes.” Just by his tone of voice, it was obvious he believed it as well. “Not sure why they'd want to come back here. At least the food and drink in England only alters your waist size, not your entire size!”

To emphasize the point, the White King patted his midsection and laughed.

Anastasia walked over and grasped both Alice and Cyrus by one hand, leading them quickly towards the path that would take them back to the palace. “I am so happy to have you back, we'll talk all about it over tea.” Looking to Cyrus, her smile grew. “I imagine your brothers will be pleased you've come to stay; both have been such a help settling trouble here since the events a year ago.”

**Author's Note:**

> To make it short, I've never really liked the ending of the series. It was sweet and all, but it just didn't seem believable with how much Alice and Cyrus both enjoyed adventure. I don't personally enjoy writing married life all that much, I do it often with them (not in fanfic obviously), but Victorian life doesn't interest me as much as adventures in Wonderland. So I thought I'd fix that with two one shots I put together.
> 
> As well, just to make note, Cyrus was a genie for hundreds of years (I recently binge watched the series and he often states a hundred years, hundreds of years...this can be inconsistency in writing obviously but I also fancy he'd have a hard time keeping track of time in a bottle), so learned behaviours would be hard to forget. His desire to see Alice happy will override his own. At least in my characterization.


End file.
